Date: January 11, 2018

To: Br. Rey Allan B. Balderosa, Sc

By: Mario M. Bello, Jr.
Re: Reflection Paper 3- Ethics in Relation to Worldviews

1. Is this idea of seeing God primarily as a way to meet my own needs part of your
tradition? What is wrong with this notion?

Yes. I was brought into this world having nothing and my concepts of the things
around me including my belief in God among others were shaped and consequently are
products of my interaction with my environment.
I grew up in a Christian family and my first encounter with God was initiated by
my parents. They introduced to me the concept of a Supreme Being and his heavenly hosts
who looks over us probably so that 1) they will be able to conveniently provide answers to
my questions relative to supernatural phenomenon; and 2) driven by their own belief in
God and his commands, they will be able to pass to me their own construct of who God is
and how is he to be revered, both of these are clear manifestations of handing down a part
of their culture to the next generation. While my initial concepts of God were mostly
passed on to me, when I started to learn seeing God and who He really is on my own, I
also began to shred and unlearn some concepts which I initially believed were true.
Although I still have to see more of God, my concept of him and the world under his
command is largely based now on my personal interaction with him every moment and in
every circumstances that come my way.
What makes the forming of concept of God only by means of handing down
traditions wanting is the lack of personal experience. Man being a corrupted being has
within himself the effects of a sinful nature and as such, in many circumstances his views
and products especially if not well guarded are concoctions of poisons which creates rift
and divisions between and among his kind. This concept does not exclude the beliefs of
my parents or those of who in one way or another influenced my concept of God and his
purpose.
 Thus the better way of seeing God is through my personal relationship with him.
The true nature of God being a Spirit transcends beyond what is tangible and could be
manifested by human senses thus it is necessary that meeting him should also be made
through the spirit. A mere handing down of accounts about God from one generation to
another, that is from my parents to me or by my community to me, by means of language
or through material components of culture had started a good spark but in order for me to
continue desiring God, seeing his leading and wisdom in a daily basis, I need to see God
through the spirit. That is why I have to appreciate things not only on their face value or
through the norms of the society because God’s messages for most of the time lie in a level
which only my soul could understand.

2. How might this utilitarian notion of good and evil influence moral behavior?
It makes man egocentric. It is a known fact that a man’s morality is shaped by his
past experiences thus when seen in a much larger picture, morality becomes relative due to
the diversity of what he has gone through life. Also, these experiences may at times be
distorted due to the fact that we live and engage with things in this corrupt world. These
diversity and corruption, coupled by an active passion to advance the purposes of God on
Earth mostly lead to extremism. Thus, today, we experience genocide, hate crimes, caste
and other forms of offences against humanity all for the sake of religion.
However destructive these extreme beliefs may be, I have to admit that even I is
guilty or may become guilty of biases should circumstances prompting me to be so arise. I
am a Christian and I believe in the gift of salvation brought about by asking forgiveness for
my sins, washing away my sins by the blood of Jesus, believing Jesus to be the way, the
truth and life, and standing by the commands and promises of God written in the Bible.
Should this beliefs be shaken, challenged or offended by others I have long resolved to
stand by my faith, and march holding high the cross of Jesus no matter what it may cost.